Pursuing
a long-time interest, I started backpacking 3 years ago, beginning with
day-hiking and single overnights.Currently
I’m mostly a ‘weekend warrior’, but managed a
week long section
of the Appalachian Trail (AT) last year.I
hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of
West Virginia,
but will be section hiking more of the AT this year.I’m usually a hammock sleeper, but will soon be testing a
Tarptent. In general my backpacking style is
lightweight and
minimalist, and I try to cut as muck pack weight as I can without
sacrificing
warmth, comfort, or safety.

Product
Description:

The Sierra
Designs Mist sleeping bag can best be described with just two words -
soft and fat. Fat with down that is. This bag has some
serious loft - approximately 6 in (15 cm) at the chest, knee, and foot
areas and about 4 in (10 cm) at the hip. In addition to feeling
soft because of the lofty down, the interior 40D polyester fabric feels
very soft and supple to the touch, and the puffy dual draft tubes along
the side zipper, the fat full draft collar, and the double draft tubes
around the hood all contribute to the soft luxurious feel of the
Mist. The Mist is available only in right zip.

The exterior waterproof-breathable DriZone fabric is light purple in
color and has a small, barely visible ripstop pattern.
Approximately every 6 in (15 cm) a small variation in color is
noticeable - this is where the baffle is welded to the shell. The interior of the bag is a light lime color with a
pattern of small darker lime circles with a light purple dot in the
center. The baffles appear to be
sewn to the interior liner with small even stitches of matching color
thread. Although the Mist is supposed to have fixed side baffle
construction, I was able to push down from one side to the other
easily, so it appears to be continuous baffle construction
instead. Manufacturer labeling is modest and tasteful
- a small Sierra Designs logo appears on the right side near the foot,
along with the model name (Mist), the fill power (800-fill), and the
temperature rating (0 F/18 C); and the logo is also printed on the
zipper pull.

The Mist has numerous technical features
designed to help keep me warm
in cold conditions. First are the dual draft tubes - one on the
bottom and one on the top of the zipper. The top of the upper
draft tube meets what I would call a throat draft tube - a fat tube of
down that rests under my chin when the bag is zipped up. The left
side of this tube also keeps the toggle for the outside hood adjustment
from contacting my skin, and attaches to an "inner" down filled tube on
the hood that snugs down around my face. The lower draft tube
reaches to the top of the zipper, not quite meeting the "outer" down
filled tube on the hood. Both the throat draft tube and the inner
face tube meet and overlay the lower draft tube, sealing to keep warmth
in and breezes out. In addition to the throat tube, there is an
additional full draft collar which fastens on the right side with a
wide strip of hook and loop fastener. An additional 'loop' strip is
attached to
the rear of the draft collar to allow the hook side to be attached out
of the way when not in use to prevent it from catching on skin,
clothing, or the sleeping bag. Also attached to the upper side of
the draft collar is a small mesh pocket measuring approximately 3.5 x
4.5 in (9 x 11.5 cm). I look forward to testing this pocket to
hold my contacts in their case, hopefully keeping them warmer and thus
more comfortable to insert in the morning after a cold night; and it
may also prove a useful place to store my watch if I don't want to wear
it at night.

The 'Expedition Jacket Hood' is very ingenuous, consisting of an
inner layer that snugs tightly around my face, and an outer layer that
poofs up above my face. I'm excited to see if this system will
help keep the area of my face that's always exposed (my nose and mouth)
warmer in cold weather. I've often felt snuggly warm inside my
bag in cooler temperatures, only to be woken up toward morning because
my exposed nose feels so cold, so I hope the deep Jacket Hood will help
remedy this by keeping the air near my face warmer. The outer
part of the hood adjusts with a medium sized round lime green toggled
cord which hangs freely, and the inner part adjusts with a smaller
black round elastic cord with a smaller toggle that is attached to the
side of the inner face tube with a loop of grosgrain ribbon. An
interesting feature on the smaller cord is a small clear pony
bead. I assume this has been attached to make this cord easier to
pull on to adjust, due to the left portion of the cord being fixed in
place and only the right side adjusting.

The YKK zipper has a moderate sized top pull made of a sueded material
with a smooth back, which is attached to the metal zipper head.
This pull is reversible - that is, it can be pulled around to be
operated from either the interior or exterior. The bag can also
be unzipped from the bottom with a normal metal zipper head without a
fabric pull. The catch is that this zipper can only be operated
effectively from the interior of the bag. It's a bit of a
struggle, but the bag is wide enough that I can reach down into the
foot area and unzip it with a little effort. The zipper is near
ground level, and runs nearly the full length of the bag, stopping
about 9 in (23 cm) from the bottom. The zipper is covered by a
2.5 in (6.5 cm) wide storm flap that fastens closed with 4 small hook
and loop tabs spaced down the length of the bag. The zipper is
backed by a strip of fabric with a rolled edge that helps prevent
snagging, and the teeth of the zipper are positioned to the inside,
toward this 'snag free strip'.

The Mist measures approximately 90 in (229 cm) overall length on the
exterior, 29 in (74 cm)wide at the chest, 30 in (76 cm) at the hip, and
14 in (36 cm)
at the foot. Two lime green colored 'pad locks' are attached to
the back of the bag
at approximately the chest and hip areas. These pad locks are
narrow strips of gross grain ribbon that attach to the sleeping bag via
hook and loop fasteners that pass through small cord loops permanently
sewn into the bag, adjust by small black plastic slide buckles, and are
designed to help keep the sleeping bag in place on a sleeping pad.

A large
white care instruction tag is sewn to the bag on the outside of the
upper draft tube. The tag contains information for cleaning the
bag in three different ways - dry cleaning, hand washing, or machine
washing. It specifies that if dry cleaning, use a dry cleaner
experienced in cleaning down items who will guarantee their work.
It states when machine or hand washing, use mild soap or special down
soap, rinsing very thoroughly to remove all soap residue. When
washing by machine it states not to use an agitator type machine.
The label states to drip dry or tumble dry in a cool dryer, not to use
harsh detergent or bleach, and not to steam press or iron. The
label also gives the fabric content: 100% nylon shell, 100%
polyester lining, and goose down insulation.

The Mist was shipped in a white cotton
storage sack, measuring
approximately 13 x 30 in (33 x 76 cm). The bottom of the storage
sack has
an insert of the liner material of the Mist, and the manufacturer logo,
model information, fill information, and temperature rating printed in
green on the white cotton. I was somewhat surprised with the size
of the storage bag, because the loft of the down is compressed a good
bit when the sleeping bag is stored in it, and it takes some effort to
push the bag into the sack. I typically store my sleeping bags in
large plastic totes to protect them from dust and accidental damage
from our dog and cat, large enough to hold the bag without compressing
the loft, and plan to do so with this bag also. A dark charcoal
colored compression stuff sack measuring
approximately 9 X 19 in (23 x 48 cm) with four compression straps was
also included for packing the Mist for travel. Again, some effort
is required to stuff the Mist completely into the sack. When the
compression straps are tightened, the bag will stuff down to
approximately 9 x 15 in (23 x 38 cm).

Initial Impressions:

The design and construction of the Mist sleeping bag both appear to be
top quality. I'm impressed with the care that obviously went into
designing the bag for optimal warmth in cold weather, and I love the
soft feel. The only small nitpick so far is that the Mist is only
available in a right zip, which seems a little awkward to get fastened
and unfastened since I am used to a left zip bag. I do wonder if
all the various cinch cords around the head and neck area and the hook
and loop fasteners on the storm flap will make it difficult to get out
of the bag quickly for a late night nature call. The bag is
bulkier than I am used to when stuffed, so I'm a bit anxious about how
well it will fit in my pack, but the Mist has a lower temperature
rating by at least 20 F (11 C) than any of my other bags, so this is to
be expected.

Field Report - April
2007

Field Conditions:

In February I used the Mist on two overnight backpacking trips in
western West Virginia, hammocking on both occasions. The
temperature dropped to around 30 F (-1 C) during the night on the first
trip with some snow and light wind. On this trip I used a down
underquilt for bottom insulation. On the second trip temperatures
were around 35 F (2 C), breezy, and with blowing rain for at least an
hour. On this trip, I used a hybrid sleeping pad of closed cell
foam with a self inflating section as primary insulation and a thin
closed cell foam pad folded and placed on my right side to cope with
the typical cold spots caused by the way a hammock wraps around the
sleeper. I also used the Mist in March at Girl Scout camp,
sleeping under the stars using the hybrid sleeping pad and a plastic
drop cloth underneath. Temperatures were around 35 F (2 C) with
only a very slight occasional breeze and no precipitation. In
April I used the Mist on an overnight backpacking trip on the
Appalachian Trail in Tennessee, sleeping in Curley Maple Gap
Shelter, using the hybrid sleeping pad. Temperatures dropped to
around 20 F (-7 C) during the
night, with light breezes.

Field Use:

On all
occasions so far the Mist has kept me sufficiently warm, and
I've had to vent the bag a few times each night to keep from getting
too warm. On two of the backpacking overnights and the night
under the stars I used the pad locks to secure the Mist to
the sleeping pad. The pad locks are simple to use and adjust
easily, but the positioning of the pad locks near the zipper seems to
interfere with zipping the bag, especially near the upper pad
lock. The
zipper operates smoothly enough, but it takes a lot of pressure to move
it past the pad locks, especially the upper one. I found I had to
use both hands to operate it, pulling down against the bag with one
hand and operating the zipper with the other. I've also found
that the
hook and loop
fasteners on the storm flap slow down my exit from the bag since I have
to unzip the bag to the first fastener, pull it apart, zip down to the
next fastener and pull it apart, then unzip again before I can easily
exit the bag, so no fast night time exits. Still this seems a
fairly small sacrifice for the
added draft protection of the storm flap.

Most of the time so far I've found the bag too warm to totally snug
down the hood and snug the draft collars tight, preferring to keep them
loose. Even with the adjustments loose the deep hood with the
ample down filled tubes surrounding it provides
sufficient warmth for temperatures down to 20 F (-7 C). The few
times I've tightened the face and neck drawcords, I've found them a
little hard to draw, and the one for the throat draft tube a little
difficult to find during the night due to the puffiness of the various
down tubes in that area.

On the night I hammocked in the wind and blowing rain, the foot of the
Mist got a little wet when the hammock fly sagged from the rain and
started flapping around, allowing a little rain to spray in.
Exiting the hammock and adjusting the fly stopped the rain spray, and
although the surface of the foot area of the Mist appeared 'wetted
out', it didn't seem to soak into the down since it remained light and
fluffy. On this trip, the bag was still a little damp at the foot
when I packed it up, but it was dry before I unpacked it later that day
at home to air it out. The foot of the bag also got a little wet
the night I slept under the stars, when it slipped off the bottom of
the sleeping pad, but this time it dried before I packed it up.

On my
last trip, I found the mesh pocket at the chest especially
useful. Since the temperatures were well below freezing and the
air was dry, I stored a lip balm and my contact lenses in the
pocket. I was able to apply lip balm during the night to keep my
lips from drying out and chapping, and it was nice to have relatively
warm lenses when I put my contacts in the next morning. The hook
and loop closure worked well to keep both of these items inside the
pocket even though I shifted from side to side several times during the
night.

Fitting the Mist into the compression sack still takes a little effort,
but I've found it easier when I leave the sleeping bag unzipped and
start stuffing the foot end in first, allowing the air to escape out
the top as I stuff the bag in. Once inside the stuff sack, the
compression straps are easy to operate, compressing the bag several
more inches. Even compressed, the Mist is fairly bulky, and it
takes a little effort to fit it into the bottom of my pack, which is my
preferred place to store it when I'm backpacking. I've also
stored it on one side with my clothing and miscellaneous gear and my
sleeping pad on the opposite side, but this is less space efficient
since there is a lot of space left by the curved shape in the center
part of the pack. Still, for the warmth of the bag, the Mist
compresses well enough, and losing a little pack space is a small
sacrifice for staying toasty warm in sub-freezing temperatures.

Conclusions:

So far the bag seems top quality. All the stitching remains
secure and I've only noticed a couple of small feathers escaping the
shell. The down filled tubes make the Mist very cozy and snuggly,
and the warmth the bag provides has been incredible. On
my most recent backpacking trip my companions all said they were cold
during the night, but I was toasty warm. The only improvement I
would suggest so far is to move the pad locks a bit away from the
zipper
to make it easier to operate.

This concludes my Field Report.

Long Term Report - June 2007

Field Conditions:

In early May I used the Sierra Designs Mist for two nights at Girl
Scout Camp, the first camping in a field near one of gravel access
roads, and the second on a short overnight backpacking trip.

The first evening temperatures were around 60 F (16 C) overnight with
some light breeze, with a high around 75 F (25 C) the next day.
The elevation was around
700
ft (200 m), and the ground was fairly level. The second night the
overnight temperatures were in
the low 40 F (4 C) range, with steady moderate rain in the evening
through
the middle of the night, with little to no wind. The elevation
around 900
ft (300 m), and the ground was slightly sloped. I was using the
Mist inside a Tarptent Double Rainbow, sleeping on a Pacific Outdoor
Equipment Hyper High Mtn sleeping pad both nights.

I was unable to use the Mist on any other trips during this portion of
the test due to the early arrival of warm overnight temperatures, for
which the substantial insulation of the Mist would have been very much
too hot.

Field Use:

On the first night I found I was too warm during most of the night,
sleeping
most of the time with the bag unzipped to about the knee, and having to
frequently throw the top of the bag to the side and remain uncovered
for a few minutes to avoid serious overheating. I'm typically a
side sleeper, and when I did have the top of the bag over me, I found I
was too warm if I slept facing the zipper. When I turned over the
other way, I found my backside would get cold in a few minutes. I
generally prefer sleeping on my left
side, but didn't find this comfortable due to the cold zone caused by
the open zipper. I couldn't keep the bag zipped up without
overheating, so I found I was frequently zipping and unzipping the bag,
and tossing and turning trying to stay comfortable, especially in the
early morning hours. Due to the warm temperatures, I did not use
the pad locks. I occasionally slid off my sleeping pad, and
would wake up and notice, but didn't really get cold from not being on
the pad. There was no noticeable
condensation on the bag in the morning or any time I woke up to change
my sleeping position during the night.

During the short (1 mi or 2.5 km) hike into camp and the time I was
setting up camp (all in a steady, moderate rain) I ended up
pretty much soaked through, with wet hair, clothing, and shoes.
As temperatures dropped, I found I was getting quite chilled, and it
felt great to change into a lightweight base layer bottom and a
mid-weight wool top and crawl into the warmth of the Mist. I
found I slept comfortably warm all night. I used the pad locks
this night, and the sleeping bag stayed put on the pad well, but on the
uneven ground the pad kept sliding sideways on the silnylon floor and I
kept sliding down into the bottom of the bag. This caused the
sides of the bag to come into contact with the mesh surrounding the
floor of the Tarptent, and the top of the bag to be a little annoying
around my face, but I found I could fold the hood over and make it into
a great little pillow this way. I didn't notice any condensation
during the night or when I packed the Mist into its stuff sack the next
morning, but when I got home and unpacked it I noticed it felt a little
damp in the footbox area with a slightly clumpy damp feel to the
down. This may have been caused by the bag being stored in my
pack with my soaked clothing, and it dried out quickly (within an hour
or so).

Conclusions:

Overall I found the Sierra Designs Mist a good quality bag that keeps
me warm and cozy, and even with several nights use, it still looks like
new. The shell fabric has been pretty good to repel stray
droplets of water and keep moisture away from the down (with the
exception of the single instance noted above), although the surface
does sometimes seem to 'wet out' a little when there is significant
condensation. The fabric is also easy to keep clean, and I
haven't yet had to wash the entire bag. I once got a small bit of
grass stain on it from contact with the ground, but I found it wiped
right off with a damp cloth.

I found the included compression stuff sack handy to shrink the bag to
a manageable size in my pack. While it took a bit of stuffing to
get the amply filled Mist into the sack, I found if I started packing
it at the foot end I could more easily get most of the air out of the
Mist and it would fit adequately into the stuff sack. The way the
sack is designed, with quick release buckles on two adjacent strips of
webbing, it was then easy to put the top part of the compression system
over the stuff sack, snap the straps in place, and pull the webbing to
shrink the size of the packed Mist several more inches. I would
like to see the compression stuff sack be a few ounces lighter though.

The one real downfall of the bag seems to be the positioning of the
zipper (or the combination of this and the cut of the bag), which
causes it to be difficult to operate, especially as it nears the neck
area. I sometimes found I had to put pressure on the bottom of
the bag by digging into it with my toes to pull the bag taut in the
zipper area so I could get it zipped up. I'd also like to see the
bag offered with a left zip, which always seems more comfortable to me,
especially when hammocking.

Due to my wide shoulders (not to mention a little more padding on my
body than strictly necessary), I made the decision to order the long
model even though my height would have been within the sizing of the
regular model. I'm glad I got the long since it is a bit wider
than the regular and I still occasionally felt a little constrained
when the bag was entirely zipped up. I would suggest the bag be
available in a 'wide' model as well as the long for those of us who are
amply endowed but not very tall.

The Mist is easy enough to ventilate that I found I could use it in a
fairly wide range of temperatures comfortably, and even though I didn't
experience cold enough temperatures to test the 0 F (-18 C), I have
reason to believe it will prove adequate to keep me warm enough in
temperatures several degrees below the lowest temperature (20 F/-7 C)
that I was able to test it in based on how warmly I slept that
night. It's a little bulky and heavy to take backpacking
when I don't expect temperatures below freezing, but for winter and
colder early spring/late fall trips I'll happily put up with a little
extra weight and bulk over a less generously filled bag to make sure I
stay warm, and plan for the Mist to be my primary bag when I expect
temperatures below freezing. In those cases, I find it actually
saves a bit of weight and bulk in my pack because I always packed much
heavier clothing and sometimes a light quilt or fleece throw in
addition to a sleeping bag rated to 20 F (-7 C) for that little extra
bit of 'insurance' against sleeping cold.

Thanks to Sierra Designs and BackpackGearTest
for
the
opportunity to test the Mist sleeping bag.

Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.